Monster Musume: A Griffon Tale
by Mangy-Mutt-Studios
Summary: Being a non-human species that was rather hard to handle was hard enough as is, but why not add loneliness into the mix as well? All was destined to be bad for Ares Argestes, that was until a handler known as John came around to brighten up Ares's day! Join our griffon-like friend as he attempts to adjust to his new life in the city with his new host Mason Finch!
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

It has been around four months since the Interspecies Exchange Bill was passed... four long, excruciating, painful months. The reason for those thoughts may have seemed silly, if not childish to most. However, most people or even some other non-human species were not in the same boat as I was.  
You see, some non-humans are very wanted by humans. Species like Harpies, Centaurs, various types of Cat and Dog species, and even things like Mermaids were very common to see out in the public now, easily maintaining daily lives amongst humans. However, I wasn't one of those lucky ones that were quickly chosen for Home Stays. In fact, I was almost to the point where I thought I would never be picked for a Home Stay...I didn't even have a coordinator yet. There was an obvious reason, and it was even more obvious that it had to do with my species.

I was a Griffon.

Griffons are very rare, even in non-human standards. We were also one of the few non-human species to have both males and females amongst us. We were large, having bodies that could reach anywhere from six feet to eight feet tall. A common human description of Griffons was that we were like Dragonewts if they had feathers instead of scales. I couldn't exactly argue with that though, as it was fairly true. Griffons indeed had wings very similar to a Dragonewt when it came to their structure and placement, however Griffon wings were slightly larger in wingspan and even gave Griffons the ability to fly for short periods of time. There were also the highly distinct arms of the Griffon Species, which followed the same concept of a Harpies bird-like legs when it came to the material they were made of and how they looked. They primarily cover the entire arm, starting a few inches up from the elbow and continuing to cover all the way to the tips of the fingers. They even had the same distinct yellow color that most bird related non-humans had. We even had very similar talons to the Harpy species, as they were razor sharp at all times, and able to cut through most soft materials and even some soft metals. However, these claws were considered more of a burden in modern times, as they were originally used for combat purposes back in the days of old. Nowadays all Griffons are required to wear specially made leather gauntlets and gloves to keep us from damaging public property. The only other external animal-like feature that Griffon's had was the tail. A griffon tail was exactly the same as a Lions, just slightly longer. The tuft of fur on the end of a Griffon's tail almost always matched the Griffon's hair and feather color, which would usually consist of browns or blacks.

However, these things weren't the primary reason of why most humans didn't want to allow Griffon's to stay with them... but I can still admit that they didn't exactly help either. Instead the main reasons that most people didn't want Griffons was because of our violent nature that most of us had... key word: Most. It may have been true that all griffons were strictly carnivores, or that we all had very strong defensive and protective instincts. It was also true that we all had a temper of sorts. All that said, the labeling of violent was mostly false. Griffons have come a long way since our species' past. We tried to suppress our violent ways in any way possible, and it worked for most of us. However, it only takes a few members of a species to completely ruin something for the rest. There will always be a few Griffons who will remain stuck in our violent past, and it's because of those few who completely screw things over for all other Griffons who are actually trying to be accepted into human culture.

So that was my problem. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, that there was no possible way that I could even have a lasting chance at any sort of Home Stay. I've even had coordinators turn me down before even having a chance to meet me. I guess that was how things were going to be for a long time.


	2. Chapter 1- Another Day at the Ares House

**CHAPTER 1: ANOTHER DAY AT THE ARGESTUS HOUSEHOLD**

My name is Ares Argestes. I am a male Griffon currently living in the outskirts of Japan, waiting for a response to one of my many letters to receive a coordinator.  
I was currently just sitting on my enlarged bed, staring up into the lightless ceiling. Every second that went by felt like minutes, every minute hours, and every hour days as I daily waited for some sort of response. I've been tempted to give up before, but something just continued to push me. To be completely honest, I wasn't even sure what kept me going at this point. I lived completely alone, as it is within culture that the parents must leave their children to fend for themselves once they reach the age of fifteen...I was 20. It's been five years...five long, horrible years of loneliness. However, the loneliness seemed to get worse once the Interspecies Exchange Bill passed, as it meant that I now had a chance of no longer being by myself, but due to my species, my odds seemed to get even more slim. It was a truly depressing feeling.

I took a deep breath and let out a depressing sigh as a sat up in my bed, slowly beginning to walk towards my dresser to get myself ready for yet another lonely day here in my small house. I slowly approached the dresser, eventually looking up to see myself in the enlarged mirror that was built to fit to my massive height of 7'3.

I was a mess.

My dark grey hair was completely in shambles, and the feathers attached to my matching colored wings looked like they haven't been properly groomed in days. Even the patch of fur on the end of my tail was a complete disaster. I eventually found myself looking into my own light blue eyes, thinking to myself that there must be hope for me somewhere on this planet.

"Somewhere." I quietly mumbled to myself, noticing that my voice was still fairly groggy from just waking up not too long ago.

I began to slowly get myself ready for the day. I knew that I more than likely wasn't going to be seeing anyone today, but it was still shameful to walk around looking like this. I turned and walked to the bathroom, then proceeded with my everyday hygiene activities: Taking a shower, brushing my teeth, deodorant, and all the others were fairly simple other than the fact that showering took me a bit longer to accomplish simply due to my wings. Once I got out of the shower I headed back to my dresser, grabbed my wire brush, and then proceeded to brush out my rather disastrous hair, eventually moving onto my wings, and then my tail. Once the three were to the point of being presentable I began to get dressed. Starting with my leather arm and hand guards so I wouldn't tear holes in any of my clothes. I slid on a pair of jeans, which were slightly modified in the back to make it comfortable for my tail. I then slid on a shirt and a zip up hoodie, which were also modified in the back with holes just large enough for me to slide my wings through. These modifications were something all Griffons needed to do to our clothes, that is if we can even find any in our size.

I was now ready for yet another disappointing day. I knew my odds were slim, but that didn't stop me from daily going outside and checking my mailbox for any sort of response to my letters. I slowly approached my front door, eventually walking outside. I slightly covered my eyes as the massive burst of sunshine slammed into my eyes. It was just enough to knock my vision out of focus, but it wasn't long until I was able to see again.

In all honesty, it was a rather nice day out today. It was currently the middle of the summer where I lived, so the outside scenery would usually be enough to bring smiles to most people's faces, but it still wasn't enough to help my depressed feelings. I walked over to my mailbox with my leather covered claws in my hoodie pockets. I slid open the box's lid, to no surprise being greeted by yet another empty filling. I let out a sigh and began walking back towards the entrance to my house, lowering my head back to the ground in the process. I began to re-open my front door, but was stopped by the sudden distant noise of an engine. I slowly turned and looked down the long, gravel road that was connected to my house. So far, I could see nothing over the horizon, but my ears were still picking up the distinct noise of a car engine coming from that area. It slowly began to get louder, but I still couldn't manage to see anything coming down the road.  
Even though I couldn't see the vehicle, I knew that there was one approaching. This actually confused me, as I have seen cars come down this road a handful of times sense the six years that I've lived here. I slowly re-shut the front door and began focusing on the road, waiting to see what kind of vehicle was about to come over the horizon. Luckily, my curiosity was eventually solved as I watched a white van-looking vehicle pop up into view. I don't recall ever seeing a vehicle like that ever coming this way, so this struck my interest.

I had a feeling it wasn't even for me though, as I've only had one visitor, other than my parents, sense I've lived here, and It didn't take long for them to leave. I leaned up against the house and watched as the vehicle approached. It seemed that even though I had a deep feeling that whoever this was wasn't here to see me, I was still getting slightly more nervous the closer the white car grew.

I eventually began second guessing myself. Thoughts like: "They couldn't possibly be here for you" and "This is the day" were colliding in my mind, building up butterflies that eventually began making me feel sick to my stomach.

The vehicle was very close now, and I could finally clearly see the driver through the windshield. It was a male who was wearing a white looking suit and a blue striped tie underneath. He appeared to be bald, but it suited him. I watched as his gaze slowly switched over to me, which surprisingly caught me off guard. I've had people stare at me, but this stare felt different. I averted my eyes back to the vehicle, noticing that it was beginning to slow down.

I was getting excited now. There was no way that this guy was here to see me...yet, it seemed that that was exactly what was about to happen. The vehicle eventually came to the front of my house, its brakes slightly squealing as it came to a stop. I caught yet another glance from the man as he began to exit the vehicle. I observed him, watching his every move and paying attention to all of his details, the most obvious one being an odd height of around 5'7 at the most.  
What was going on? This can't be what I think it is. My luck ran dry a long time ago. There is absolutely ZERO way that this man is here for me.  
"I take it that you are Ares Argestes?" The man said as he slowly began walking towards me, eventually stopping around fifteen feet away from me. His voice was fairly deep, yet kind.

How does he know my name? All I could manage to do at this moment was release a nervous nod, as my brain wasn't letting me make words at the moment.

"You're a bit bigger than I thought you'd be." He smiled.

What does that have to do anything? Who is this man? Why is he here?

"Well Ares? Do you not speak?" He questioned, his voice hitting a slightly higher octave as if to signal that he was joking around.

"Umm... yes. W-who are you?" I managed to stutter out.

"Well, my name is Johnson. John works though." He politely said as he placed his hands behind his back.

"W-Why are you h-here." I nervously spoke.

He didn't give a verbal response, but instead pulled out a large, yellow envelope from his suit. He then extended his arm to hand it to me, to which I oddly responded by simply standing there and blankly stare at the envelope.

"Don't worry Ares. I won't bite." He laughed, further extending the envelope.

I crept towards him with nervous filled caution until I was able to reach for the envelope. Once it was within my grasp I began to slowly open up the yellow flap on the top, eventually looking down inside to be greeted by a large amount of used notebook paper.

"What is all this?" I asked, looking up at Johnson.

"Just pull a few of them out, you might recognize them." He said, gesturing towards the envelope.

I, once again, slowly began looking into the envelope and pulled out a stack of papers. I swallowed my nervousness as a realized what they were... all of my letters. I quickly snapped my neck up to look Johnson in the eyes.

"Why do you have these?" I asked, having a deep feeling that I knew the answer.

"I think you know Ares." He playfully grinned as he took a few more steps towards me.

"Y-You're..." I couldn't get the words out, but a didn't have to.

"Your new coordinator. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said as he stuck out his hand to shake mine.

I dropped the envelope and papers onto the ground and quickly grabbed for Johnson's hand, only to be stopped by the sudden pulling away of his arm.

"Ah, nope, not like this." He smiled to my confusion. "If I'm going to shake your hand, I want to do it without those gauntlets on." He gestured towards my leather gauntlets.

That sentence right there was made me begin to trust this man. Naturally, I did what he told me and removed my gauntlets, then reached back out to meet his once again extended hand. I wasn't sure what it was, but the second I felt him calmly grasp my claws without flinching was what sent me over the emotional edge.  
A coordinator.

I finally have a legitimate coordinator that seemed to actually want me around. I could feel myself beginning to tear up.

"Let it all out buddy." He chuckled as he patted my back.

I eventually let go and looked him in the eyes once again, my gut told me that he had more good news for me.

"You have a home for me, don't you?" I quickly blurted out as I placed my hands on his shoulder and pushed him away from our hug in order to look him in the eyes. There was a small pause, however Johnson began to slightly smile.

"Actually, yes. I know how long you've been wanting to be a part of a homestay Ares, so I held off coming here to meet you until I could actually find someone willing to accept you into their home." He said, to which he gave a small grin.

This may have sounded unpleasant as he chose to wait to even tell me I had a coordinator until he had a home for me, but I don't think that I cared how he did his job at this point. I was finally happy.

"Yep, he lives right here in Japan. He said this morning that he chose you to stay at her house, so as soon as I got the news I began to drive straight here. He also said that he wouldn't mind if you got here sooner rather than later, so if it's okay with you, you can go ahead and pack your bags. We should make it there by tomorrow afternoon." Johnson continued, to which a happily responded.

"Are... Are you joking?" I doubtingly questioned as my nerves seemed to still have the best of me.  
"Not at all Ares. We can leave right now if you want." He responded.

I didn't even need to think at this point, just respond.

"Don't leave. I'll be right back with my things!" I shouted as I turned and ran back into my house, not even bothering to shut the door behind me.  
I then began to gather up my things with as much speed as I possibly could. I bet to some it would appear that I was reacting like a child on his birthday, but I didn't care.

I had a coordinator... and a new home to go to.


	3. Chapter 2 - The Start of Something New

**CHAPTER 2: THE START OF SOMETHING NEW**

The inside of Johnson's white van was far smaller on the than it looked on the outside, but I wasn't going to let something like that bring me down at this moment in time. I was far too happy right now to even be able to mentally process a sad emotion, let alone feel one. I couldn't even sit still at the time, as the pure excitement running through my body prevented me from doing so... that and my wings and tail were currently squished up against the seat in probably one of the most uncomfortable ways possible.

I began resituating myself in my seat for probably the twentieth time in the past ten minutes, noticing that I had caught the attention of Johnson in my struggle.

"Sorry that the vehicle isn't bigger Ares, it was the biggest one the dealership had." He spoke, not taking his eyes away from the gravel road leaving my old house.

"Umm... explain dealership to me... if you don't mind that is." I embarrassingly said, as my knowledge on human culture and society was nonexistent at best. However, this could be said for all non-humans, so I could probably bet money that Johnson received this question a lot throughout his career as a coordinator.

"Ah, sorry about that. Sure, a dealership is a place where humans can go to rent vehicles to use for however long they pay for. My personal vehicle is pretty small, so I tried to rent something bigger to pick you up in... This was the biggest vehicle they had though, so sorry about that." He responded without skipping a beat, proving my point that he must get questions like that a lot.

"Ah… Thank you." I awkwardly responded.  
There was then a long, awkward silence between us. I had many questions bouncing around in my head, but I had no clue which one to ask first. However, I managed to unknowingly mutter a fairly basic question.

"So... What all do I need to know about human culture?" I asked, my voice growing softer as the sentence continued.

"Well... that's kind of an odd question. Could you maybe be more specific about what you want to know?" He politely responded.

"Umm..." I pondered. "I really don't know. Like, what kind of stuff should I not do?" I quickly asked, as it was the first thing my brain was able to come up with.  
With that said, Johnson responded almost instantly, in fact it was quick enough to officially settle my curiosity of exactly how often he got random questions like this.

"Well, that's actually a pretty simple question. In fact, it's probably pretty simple to the rules in your culture. I'm assuming that you have read up on the Interspecies Exchange Bill at least once or twice?" He asked, answering my question with another.

"I've read it maybe twice. I know enough to get the gist of it." I responded.

"Would you mind telling me what you know about it? I might be able to help you if I know everything you know, if that makes any sense." He politely asked.

"Well, I know that humans and non-humans can't harm each other, and that I'm not allowed to leave my host house unless the host is with me. I know one other thing... but I'd rather not say." I said, my cheeks more than likely turning a light shade of red as that last part unwittingly escaped from my mouth.  
However, Johnson seemed unfazed. In fact, it seemed that he was completely expecting that answer.

"Yea, that's about the gist of it. There really isn't much else you need to know as long as you remember those three rules." He unexpectedly responded.

"Really? I don't need to know anything else?" I asked, to which he responded with nothing more than a nod as he sharply turned the wheel of the vehicle, putting us on a paved road. "Umm... where are we headed then?" I continued, switching the subject.

"Well, the place you'll be staying is about thirty minutes from here. The pictures I saw made it look like it was on the outskirts of the city. I think it had a good bit of land to." Johnson continued with more information on the house, however my thoughts of excitement and happiness seemed to drown him out.  
I was now wondering a lot of new questions, all of them seeming to be about the human I'd be staying with. Was it a boy or girl? What was their name? What were they like? Were there other non-humans already there? However out of all these questions, one of them seemed to suddenly take control: Would they like me?  
I slightly shook my head as if to snap myself out of these thoughts, ending up catching myself being drug back into Johnson's words. He was still going on about the house, but I felt the need to interrupt him.

"Hey Johnson." I spoke up, to which he responded by pausing mid-sentence.

"Uh, what's up?" He asked. "Have another question?"

"A few actually, but I'm not sure which one to ask first." I said, nervously reacting by placing my hand on the back of my head.

"Just ask all of them and I'll answer what I can." He said.

"Well, alright then. So, tell me what the human I'm staying with is like." I asked, noticing that I was practically on the edge of my seat awaiting a response.

"Ah! Yes! I can't believe I almost forgot that!" Johnson yelled out, lightly smacking the side of his head in an angered gesture. "Well, it's a male named Mason Finch. He seemed pretty kind in his request to become available for a homestay. He also already has another non-human living there, se he has experience." Johnson said, the bit about another non-human catching me by surprise.

"Wait, he has another non-human staying there?" I quickly interrupted.

"Uh… yes, I hope that's not a problem." Johnson responded.

"Oh! No no no!" I quickly said. "That's perfectly fine with me, it actually kind of relieves me a bit." I said.

"Is that so?" Johnson asked. "You nervous?" He said, however I could hear a sense of joking sarcasm behind his words.

"Is it that obvious?" I muttered, to which we both slightly giggled. "So, what kind of non-human is already there then?" I asked.

"I'm actually not completely sure. Mason didn't exactly say, and I've only been able to talk to him over the phone." Johnson said.

"Wait, so you've never met this guy?" I questioned, as this did seem like a bit of a red flag.

"I'm afraid not. But you can trust me Ares, I would never pair someone up with anybody who seemed off. Even in the slightest bit." He responded, his words seeming to calm be back down to my original state.

"Well... I guess that's true." I said as I let my head drift back to looking out of the vehicle's window, being caught off guard by the sudden change in scenery.  
We were no longer out in the woods, but instead the exact opposite. There were large buildings and other pieces of human technology that I have yet to see with my own eyes. I may have been smarter than some non-humans coming into human society, but I was far from intelligent on the subject. There were other vehicles passing by us seemingly every second on the large two lain roads, something that was foreign to me... as was just about everything else I saw. I moved my head to face the front windshield of the vehicle, watching as we approached an area where two roads crossed, a series of red, yellow, and green lights hanging above the roads. This was probably something highly common in human society, however I could not let myself not be amazed by this.

"What exactly are those?" I excitedly asked as I gestured to the series of color-changing lights, this time not allowing myself to become embarrassed by questions that probably would have seemed ridiculous to most humans.

"Those are stoplights, they help direct traffic on busy streets like this one. Green means go, red means stop, and yellow means caution, or slow." Johnson happily responded.

I continued rapidly looking around at the city, simply amazed at my new surroundings. This was all new to me, as I have never left the forest that my home was located in. It actually surprised me that the scenery could change so much in just a matter of thirty minutes or so. I was dumbfounded at this point, simply watching and observing every little thing we passed. The outside of human houses was very intricate and far more complex than an average Griffon house, which just made me excited to see what the inside of a human house looked like.

"How much longer until we get there?" I loudly questioned, probably sounding like that of a small, excited child once again.

"Shouldn't be much longer. Five minutes maybe. I'll call Mason and tell him that we're almost there." Johnson said.

I was about to question on how exactly Johnson planned on calling Mason in such short time, but instead once again caught myself dumbstruck as he pulled out a small piece of plastic from his suit pocket, opened it up, typed in a series of numbers, and then put it up to his ear. Now I was confused. What was this device. I began listening to it, as I could hear a buzzing coming from the piece of plastic. However, the buzzing was quickly interrupted by a male voice. Going from Johnson's previous sentence it must have been Mason.

"Hello? Is this Johnson?" Mason said, his voice slightly distorted through the piece of plastic.  
How did this device even work? What was it? More thought's like this continued through my mind as I listened into Johnson's conversation.

"Indeed, it is!" Johnson responded. "I should be there with your new guest any minute now." He continued.

"That's good to hear!" Mason responded. "I'll see you guys soon!"

"Alright then Mason, see you soon." And just like that Johnson removed the device from his ear and slid it back in his pocket. He must have noticed my curious gaze as he immediately began telling me about the device.

"It's called a cell phone. They allow people to call each other with only a few button clicks away." He said. "It's sort of like an instantaneous way of sending somebody a letter through the mail, except you can also talk to them as well!"

"Then why did you have to enter in all the numbers?" I asked.

"That was Mason's phone number. Everyone who has a cell phone has a unique phone number that must be entered in before you call them." Johnson replied, to which I responded with a fascinated hum.

"So, the house has to be close, right?" I asked, beginning to feel the butterflies in my stomach rise up.

"Actually." He said, turning onto yet another street, this one littered with houses that had decent spacing in between each other. "Mason's house is somewhere on this street."

The butterflies in my stomach were officially awoken now. My stomach was in knots. I was extremely excited to start my new life. I watched as we kept passing houses, pondering as to which one was Mason's. I looked out the windshield and spotted a single large house sitting at the end of the street, seemingly surrounded by larger trees and brushes. I noticed a sudden gut feeling rise up... that was the house.

As soon as this thought arose I noticed Johnson point at the house. "There it is Ares, your new home." He smiled.

The vehicle then began to slow down, eventually coming to a complete stop. I quickly began exiting the vehicle and gathering my things, almost losing my balance and eating dirt in the process. This didn't faze me though. I quickly stretched out my wings as I impatiently waited for Johnson to exit the vehicle. It felt like an eternity until Johnson was by my side, giving me permission to walk up to the house. I was only about half way up the walkway to the entrance when the door flew open, a man stepping into frame with a polite wave and a smile on his face.

"Are you Mason Finch?" I heard Johnson yell from behind me.

"Indeed, I am! Welcome to my home Ares!" Mason responded, also sticking out his hand for me to shake. "And no gauntlets!" He smiled.  
As I shook his hand I felt the same calm, un-intimidated feeling that I got when I shook Johnson's hand. The butterflies came to a sudden halt as I approached Mason. I quickly realized that I towered over him in height, something that I thought would intimidate most humans. However, Mason seemed to happily welcome me in with a sudden gesture. With that said, I still couldn't bring myself to walk into the house. I looked over my shoulder at Johnson, who was now back by his vehicle. He caught my stare once more, responding with a satisfying nod that must have meant his job was done. I looked back at Mason, who was now inside the large house. I took a deep breath and walked through the doorway.

Looks like my new life starts now.


	4. Chapter 3 - A New Home

**CHAPTER 3: A NEW HOME**

The inside of Mason's house was far bigger than it appeared on the outside. It also appeared to be extremely well organized and clean. However, one major thing managed to stick out more than everything else: The ceilings. every single room in the house had raised ceilings, all usually having a large metal rod that would go from one end of the room to the other resting near the top of the ceiling. I knew that this must have had something to do with the other Non-human that lived here, but I was still confused on exactly what kind of Non-human lived here. I turned to face Mason.

"Hey, umm, Mason." I asked.

"What's up Ares?" He responded.

"Well... exactly what kind of Non-human lives here? I was told that there was another." I said.

"Ah, yes! Can't believe that I forgot about her." He chuckled as he smacked his forehead.

"Her?" I quickly questioned, seemingly cutting off Mason.

"Yep. Her name is Phantasma Polaris." He said. "She's a bat."

My mind instantly jumped to a sense of confusion. I've never even heard of a Non-human of the bat species. What did they look like? Was she friendly?

"You look confused." Mason said, obviously catching that my lack of response was off.

"Umm... I've just never even heard of a bat Non-human species before. I'm not exactly sure what to expect." I explained, shrugging my shoulders.

"Well, you're not the only one to say that. Her species is pretty rare, almost like your own in a way. The only way I can really explain her is that she has about the same build as a Harpy, except her wings are like that of... well... a bat!" Mason explained. "I honestly really can't give that good of a description of her." He continued.

"Why isn't she down here?" I asked.

"Well, she's nocturnal. So, she's probably asleep right now." He responded. "Either that or she's being extremely anti-social right now. It's honestly pretty fifty-fifty." He chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"That makes sense." I mumbled. "I guess I'll probably see her later tonight then?"

"More than likely. I'm sure that you two will get along just fine though, so no worries there." He explained. "Anyway, I'm assuming that you'll want to see the rest of the house?" He asked.

"Yes, that would be nice!" I excitedly bounced. I truly was excited to see the house, and I could tell that this excitement wasn't going to go to waste.

Mason led me through his massive house, starting with the first floor. He started with the living room, which he explained to me was basically a place where anyone could go to relax and watch something called television... another thing that apparently most humans had that amazed me. He then went on to the Kitchen and Dining Room, two rooms that I was actually familiar with. This being said, they were still far more complex and fancy compared to any other kitchen or dining room I have ever set foot in. He then led me to the backyard that was connected to the kitchen with a backdoor. The backyard was a massive fenced off area that had two very large trees resting in the middle, something that made me feel more at home. He then began to lead me upstairs, which was apparently where all of the bedrooms were. However, Mason was distracted by a ringing noise coming from his pocket. I watched as he pulled out a bright blue cell phone, to which he reacted to with a surprised looking face.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, stopping behind him on the stairs.

"Umm... I actually need to take this." He said, his voice going from a happy and cheery tone to a more serious one. "Tell you what though, your rooms the door on the right. Go ahead and make yourself feel at home!" And with that he began walking back down the stairs, passing me and disappearing into the kitchen without giving me the time to respond.

This would usually make me feel odd, but I was too excited to see my room to even care. So naturally, I continued up the stairs until I reached the top. I was greeted by a hallway that had three doors in it. However, there was two on the right, so I was not sure which one to enter. I knew that Phantasma was currently sleeping, and I really didn't want my first impression on her being me barging into her room while she was sleeping. I slowly walked over to the two doors, debating which one I should choose to open. My heart began to nervously pound as I gazed at the doors. Left, or right?

My hand kept jumping back and forth between the two doorknobs. I wanted to yell for Mason, but not only was he talking about something important, but I also didn't want to risk waking up Phantasma by yelling either. I guess I had to make a decision.  
I slowly began to reach for the door on the right, grasping the door knob as I began to slowly open it. I must have had the right door though, as the lights were on in a dimmed state, something that I imagined that a non-human of bat origins wouldn't be too fond of. My heart and nerves calmed themselves as I quickly opened the door the rest of the way. I then began to look around the room with pride, noticing one major thing that only brought one thought to mind.  
Wrong room.

Standing at the end of the dimly lit room was a small female that perfectly matched the description that Mason gave to me. However, I was seeing far more than I wanted to. Apparently, Phantasma had just recently woken up... and was currently in the middle of getting dressed, leaving herself nothing short of indecent.  
She quickly turned to face me, a look of horror and embarrassment instantly appearing on both of our faces. We both began to blush, neither one of us able to look away from each other either from shock or the sheer element of surprise that was currently overflowing our brains. I truly wanted to look away, however my brain wasn't able to process what was going on. Luckily, she managed to make the move that caused my brain to make a decision.  
Phantasma instantly dropped everything she was holding, swiftly covering herself up with the large wings attached to her arms. She then let out an ear-piercing feminine scream that basically forced me to swiftly back out of the room.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" I yelled as I slammed the door behind me, hearing Phantasma mumble some rather obscure obscenities as she backed away from the other side of the door.

"Damn it." I sighed to myself as I slid to the ground with my back up against the wall.  
I took a deep breath and then looked up, only to be greeted by a surprised looking Mason who was just at the top of the stairs.

"Oh no." He said, giving away the fact that he knew what just happened.

"I think you gave me the wrong door!" I yelled, jumping back up to my feet.

"I know!" He yelled in response. "That's why I was coming back upstairs! I was going to tell you that I meant to say the door on the left!" He explained.  
My mind then went blank; however, I did realize that this was technically Mason's fault.

"So... can you tell her that it was your fault then?" I asked, looking Mason in the eyes.

"If you think it will help, I will whenever she decides to come out." He responded.

I then let out a small sigh of relief. "Thanks." I said. "I'm... I'm just going to go organize my room."

"Understandable. I'll come talk to you in a bit. I'm going to go get dinner ready." He said, leaving me to myself as he walked back down the stairs.  
I then turned to face the door on the left, opening it to reveal a room that seemed to be completely different from the one I just witnessed. The room was much larger and more open. I single large window rested on the back wall, a vivid picture of the backyard peering through from the other side. I also noticed that there was a small television in my room, something that slightly excited me. However, there was one major thing that caught my eye: The bed.  
The bed that was in my room was a type of bed that I have always wanted; A hammock! It was connected by the two far corners in the right side of the room, each corner seeming to have a sort of decorative yet sturdy false tree that went through the floor and ceiling to hold the hammock's ropes. Hammocks were something that were always very common in Griffon culture, however they all usually had to be custom made. This one seemed to be very well made though, and was easily big enough for me. Mason must have ordered this when he decided to let me stay here. I guess I had yet another thing to thank him for.  
I sat all of my things down next to the dresser that the television was sitting on, then walked over to the hammock. I cautiously sat down on the large mass of hung netting, slowly falling back onto it until I was eventually completely sprawled out within the netting. It was extremely comfortable, and far better than the bed at my old home. In fact, I found myself slowly closing my eyes. It was long until I eventually fell asleep.

2 Hours Later

It wasn't long until I heard a knock at my door, causing my eyes to shoot open. I slowly sat back up in the hammock. I was unsure about how much time had passed, but I assumed that it was just Mason at the door telling me that dinner was ready.

"Come in!" I yelled, sitting up in the hammock.

I then watched as the door open, but was surprised when it was instead Phantasma who walked in... Her face looking embarrassed and shy.  
I could finally see what she actually looked like. She was literally built like a harpy, all the way down to her size. However, her wings and feet were that of a bat, and were a very dark gray color. She was wearing a pair of ripped up jeans and a dark grey hoodie. Her hair was also very dark, and appeared to be very messy. Upon seeing her hair, I noticed that she didn't have normal ears, but instead bat ears that were fairly comparable to that of a centaur when it came to their positioning. I also noticed that she had blood red eyes.

"Umm... Hello... sorry." I said, this being the only thing my brain could currently get out. I then prepared for something along the lines of a scolding from the bat. However, her response was almost the opposite.

"It's fine." She begrudgingly sighed, her voice appearing very timid, shy, and quiet. "Mason told me what happened. I understand."

I could only say one thing. "Thank you, but I'm still sorry."

"Well... I'm glad that you're at least kind." She said. "I'm Phantasma Polaris, nice to meet you."

I felt my heart warm up out of relief. "I'm Ares. Ares Argestes. Nice to meet you too."

"Well." She awkwardly paused. "Now that that is out of the way. Dinner is ready, come down whenever." She said.

And just like that, she left. I took a bit to process everything, sitting silently in my hammock. At least everything was off to a good start.


	5. Chapter 4 - The Morning After

**CHAPTER 4: THE MORNING AFTER**

While dinner the night before was rather interesting due to the fact that Phantasma and I's eating habits were rather similar (minus the fact that she was more interested in the blood of the meet rather than the meat itself), the morning after was quiet to say in the least in fact, it was rather unsettling. I would have figured my first morning after being here would be rather eventful, or at the least talkative. But instead, it was quiet. Of course, Phantasma was just now going to sleep for the day... something that was rather odd to say out loud. Not like I could judge her though. I mean, why would I? Mason seemed to be very busy with his phone this morning as, from what I witnessed, he was tapping away frantically at the screen as digital-like sounds came out with every few taps, followed by Mason either smiling or almost cursing at the small device. With all this said, I'm sure whatever he was doing on such an amazing device was rather important.  
So yeah, that was pretty much my morning. Just me laying here in my hammock with nothing more than silence to great me. Admittedly, it was a rather nice silence as I at least knew that I wasn't alone anymore. There were at least others here that were witnessing the silence with me, so I couldn't really complain about being alone anymore.

Still... I think I've had enough silence in my life these past few years. I wanted to finally be able to get out there and witness new things, meet new people, learn their ways! Hell, even if I could just get out of here and learn the area, I'd be perfectly okay with that.

"You know what," I said to myself as I sat up from my hammock. "That's what I'm going to do!"  
I triumphantly stood up as I began to learn the layout of my new surroundings. It sounded rather silly in my head, but it truly was a difficult task. I wasn't exactly used to the new locations of all of my items. Hell, it took me fifteen minutes just to remember where I stored my grooming brush. But, after a long hour, I eventually had myself presentable. I had a new outfit on, and I was feeling pretty good about myself! With pride and a deep breath, I went to reach for the doorknob... but found myself pausing as I realized that I had yet to put on my leather gloves and gauntlets. Suddenly, I found my pride being replaced with embarrassment as I looked around at my brand-new furnishings and room... However, after the field day I just unknowingly had, no one would ever be able to guess that they were brand-new.  
It seemed that somewhere within my montage of pride filled preparation, I had managed to scar and scratch nearly every single piece of wood furniture within my room with my talons.

"Fuck." I said under my breath as my eyes grew wide.

I now felt extremely stupid. I was not used to having to put those damned hand traps on every morning! All of my brand-new furniture was now scratched to shit! The dresser, the mirror, even some of the walls! I was truly baffled at the fact that I didn't even realize I had done all of this until it was too late.

"Shit... Mason's gonna be pissed!" I huffed.

"No, he's not." A voice spoke up from behind me, honestly scaring me a bit to the point where I unwillingly jumped a little bit. I turned around to see Mason standing in the doorway, his arms crossed as he lightly leaned against the doorframe.

"Shit! Mason, I'm so so-

"Don't apologize!" He smiled.

"Umm... Why? I practically ruined all of this brand-new furniture you had put in for me!" I sighed.

"Ares, do you honestly think I'm angry about this? I know what I signed up for when I accepted your papers." He grinned.

"Yeah, cause' that makes me feel better about it." I rolled my eyes.

"Dude, I really don't think you're hearing me right. Besides, even if I was angry for whatever reason, I bet you feel slightly more at home now, right?"  
That was where he caught me off guard. As I looked around, that weird feeling of new surroundings almost seemed nonexistent. My surroundings actually looked familiar now. It sort of felt like home. While yes, I did want to get away from home, it is always nice to not feel homesick if that made any sense.

"So... you're not angry?" I said as I turned to face Mason.

"Again, why would I be?" He laughed. "I didn't even have to pay for this shit!"

"What? Are you serious?" I said in disbelief.

"Yeah man! There's a rule in the Interspecies Exchange Program that states that when a host permanently excepts a non-human into their home, the government must provide money for all living expenses. That includes food, clothes, proper transportation, appropriately sized living accommodations, and yes, proper furniture." He said.

"You're completely serious?" I said in disbelief, as this was something I was completely unaware of.

"Trust me, money isn't something I kid around about." He jokingly, yet somehow seriously stated.

"Hmm... " I pondered.

"What's up?" Mason questioned.

"Well, you mentioned transportation, but I didn't notice a vehicle outside of your house. What kind of vehicle did they give you to help me?" I asked as I remembered being cramped inside of Johnson's small van.

"Oddly enough, that's actually why I came up here in the first place!" Mason smiled. "The Program administrators just sent me a message saying my new vehicle was on the trailer and on its way here. I figured you would want to come down and see the big reveal with me."

Well... I guess this was my first chance to get out of the house. "Hell yeah!" I smirked.  
We both then began to head down the stairs, but Mason stopped mid walk and turned to face me.

"Umm... usually I would say you wouldn't have to wear them in the house, but you may want to put on your gauntlets for this. While yes, the Program does cover vehicle repairs... It would be rather awkward driving around in a brand-new vehicle with scratches all over it. Plus, I don't want it to get to the point where we have to send the vehicle back for repairs, leaving us without a vehicle." He said, sounding kind of embarrassed to ask.

"Well, yeah. That's understandable I guess." I understandingly cocked my head as I quickly rushed back to my room and slapped on the gauntlets and gloves as quickly as possible. I then went downstairs to rejoin Mason, who was now standing at the door, peering through the small peephole, somehow with more excitement on his face than me.

"You look more excited than me." I chuckled.

"Look man, I haven't had a new vehicle since I turned 18." He stated.

"And how old are you now?" I asked.

"29 currently."

"And why didn't you get a new vehicle when you accepted Phantasma into your home?" I continued.

"Well, the car I had at the time was big enough for her and didn't cause her any issues, so they didn't have a need to give me a new one."

"Must have been a small car." I giggled at the thought.

"Let me put it this way; If you thought Johnson's van was small, then I don't even think we would have been able to strap you to the roof of my old car!"

I went to say more, but was cut off by Mason's excitement as he jumped up and frantically reached for the doorknob.

"It's here!" He yelled as the two of us bolted outsides with smiles on our face.

The second I stepped foot outside, a strong smell of what I think was gasoline filled the air. A thick grey smog almost blocked out the natural sunlight in the area. As I peered into the driveway, I saw a very large vehicle that was towing a similar sized vehicle behind it. However, that was all I could tell about the vehicle that was being hauled, as it was covered with a large tarp that prevented any details beyond the overall shape of the vehicle to be known. I watched as the larger vehicle pushed the tarp covered one into Mason's driveway, a massive number of mechanical screeches and clanks filled the area until eventually the tarp covered vehicle was completely unhooked from the other, resting in Mason's now rather full driveway. The man driving the vehicle then hopped out and walked over to Mason.  
He was an average looking man, around Mason's height and overall size. He wore a white jacket that had the Interspecies Exchange Program logo on the shoulder. I watched as he handed Mason a clip board with a set of papers on it, that of which Mason almost immediately began to sign with the provided pen. It wasn't too much longer until the man was shaking Mason's hand and climbing back into his large vehicle, then pulling out of the driveway, his vehicle's horn unleashing a very deep tone and menacing as he drove off into the city.

"So." I said. "Are we gonna see what it looks like?"

"You're damn right we are!" Mason grinned as he trotted up to the vehicle and began unhooking the bungee cables that held the tarp on.  
The vehicle was definitely of a larger stature, almost as if it grew once the bright, burnt orange paint job was in full view.

"Oh man, this thing is a beast!" I heard Mason shout.

"Umm... meaning?" I questioned, as I knew nothing about the vehicle other than the fact that it was definitely large enough for me and that it had a rather eye-catching color.

"I mean look at it! Dually rear wheels! Diesel Powered! Pre-installed turbo kit! This thing is practically a tank on wheels!" He shouted.

"Mason." I interrupted.

"Yes?"

"I have literally zero clue what any of that means." I sighed as I rubbed my hand through my hair, giving a slightly diminished, embarrassed smirk. Mason opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off by Phantasma's voice from the upstairs window facing us.

"It means it's a damn planet killer!" She shrieked.

"Hey! Only if we use it excessively!" Mason shouted back in a more playful tone.

"Which I imagine will be rather often considering I don't leave the house much!" She retorted.

I looked over at Mason. "You know, I haven't lived here that long, and I definitely don't know anything about vehicles, but I think she has a point. If it's anything like the vehicle that man there was driving, I have a feeling the smog this thing puts out isn't exactly healthy."

Mason gave the two of us a 'You got to be kidding me' sort of frown.  
"Look Ares, it's not like you can fit in much else. We have to take what we can get, you know?"

"Umm." I pondered.

"And trust me man, if you're not comfortable with it, then we won't drive it unless we really have to." He continued.

I looked up at Phantasma as if I was going to get some sort of confirmation from her, but simply got a half assed eye roll instead as she closed the window and went back inside.

"I mean... yeah, that sounds good." I smiled.

Without skipping a single beat, Mason then ran up to the driver side of the vehicle. "Under one condition." He then held the keys into the air, as if to jingle them at me. "Since it's out first day with it, you have to come with me for one single test drive through the town."

"Well, I suppose that's fair." I smiled as I reached for the door handle.

"Enjoy your planet killer!" The sudden voice of Phantasma exploded from the same window from just a moment ago, however this time it was cutoff with a solid slam as I'm assuming she went back inside for good.

Well, guess this is making out to be a better day than I thought it would be.


	6. Chapter 5 - A Day Out on the Town

**CHAPTER 5: A DAY ON THE TOWN**

The inside of the massive vehicle was every bit as impressive as the outside. The seats where made of a nice black leather, and a cool orange tint seemed to mask the trim of the interior. The vehicle also had ample amounts of room for me, as the passenger seat was heavily modified in order to accompany my rather large wingspan. I had to admit, it was far better than Johnson's van that I had previously rode in. In fact, I would almost bet that if given the right circumstances that I'd be able to fall asleep inside the vehicle within mere seconds. The only downside I could really see was that the vehicle's engine was rather loud, and it seemed to occasionally put out a deep black smog much like the vehicle that delivered it to us. However, I supposed I could forgive this little upset, as Mason had just previously explained to me that an engine like this was more than likely the only type that would be able to accompany a vehicle of this size.

With all of this said, there was one piece of the vehicle in particular that seemed to fascinate me more than others, that being what Mason apparently called a _'Radio'_. It seemed to be rather technologically advanced, and what little I was able to understand about the device was nothing short of mind-boggling. In all honesty, I wasn't quite sure I'd ever be able to completely understand how a device like this exactly functioned, not that it was entirely important to my homestay.

"So, this is what human music sounds like!" I said in awe as Mason set the radio to a specific channel, the upbeat sounds of electronic sounding music with cute sounding female voices filling in for the harmonies.

"Well, sort of." Mason gave a smug smile. "This band is actually comprised of nothing but Demi-Humans. I'm not extremely familiar with them myself, but I want to say that they go by ANM48. Something to do with having 48 members total." He smiled once more before giving me a playful tap on the shoulder. "Sounds pretty crowded if you ask me."

"You ain't kidding." I responded, completely baffled as to how exactly a group of 48 Demi-Humans managed to form a rather successful band that is aired over human radio frequencies. "Still, not exactly my type of music." I continued on as I tried my absolute hardest to get into the music, but without success.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Mason pondered as we came to a stop at one of the many traffic lights in the area.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, what they're doing is impressive. My taste are just more..." I paused as I attempted to find the right word. "Alternative."

"So, like, Heavy Metal and stuff?" Mason responded with a curious look, however all this sentenced managed to do was confuse me.

"What is _Heavy Metal_?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Well..." He paused. "Not really sure how to explain it. I guess you could say that it's a more hardcore style of music. More angry sounding if you will."

"If I will what?" Mason simply gave me a light-hearted giggle in response, which threw me off as I was generally concerned as to what exactly he was wanting me to do.

"Here." He then handed me his cellphone as we continued to drive forward. "Just scroll through that list and pick whichever one sounds coolest to you, any of those should get the point across."

I was now staring at a cellphone that had a list of what I had assumed were musical artist of the Heavy Metal genre that I was currently being informed about. Masses of obscure sounding (and often violent sounding) band names filled my vision. Admittedly, none of which really caught my eye until one by the name of PowerWolf came into view.

"What is PowerWolf?" I asked, holding the phone up to Mason's eyes.

"PowerWolf huh? That's definitely a more obscure one most haven't heard of." He laughed. "Their new drummer is actually werewolf, and a she's a damn good drummer at that."

Now I was interested. "And they play this _Heavy Metal_ music you speak of?"

"Indeed they do my feathered friend." He then reached over and quickly tapped on the phone, the powerful sounds of drums, guitar, and even what sounded to be an old church organ began filling the vehicle. It wasn't long until I caught myself tapping my foot to the powerful hits of the music, and eventually began bobbing my head to the rather strong rhythm. It wasn't until the engulfing sound of the powerful vocalist began filling my ears, singing some rather metaphorical lyrics that I could only imagine referred to the racism surrounding Demi-Humans. "I take it you like them?" He asked as he slightly lowered the volume of the music in order for his words to be heard.

"Actually, yes. I mean, it's not really what I had in mind when it comes to what I'm used to hearing, but this is definitely pleasant." I smiled. "And you said this was human music?"

"Other than the drummer, yes!" He grinned as he turned the vehicle down a different road. "However, they're not exactly a common band you'll hear on the radio."

"Why is that?" I questioned, confused as to why exactly one wouldn't want to hear such music.

"To be honest, most people think it sounds far too violent, despite the message in the lyrics being rather positive." He grunted. "I don't really see the big deal myself, I personally really enjoy them." It was then when I noticed that the vehicle was stopped, seemingly parked in what appeared to be a temporary storage place for vehicles. "Anyway, we're here! Hope you're ready to do some exploring!"

It was then when I had realized that I had gotten so into the music that I didn't even realize that we had been in the car for a whopping twenty minutes.

"Whoa. That was fast." I said as I exited the car with Mason, stretching out my wings I the process. It was then that I noticed that we were parked in front of a massive building that appeared like it could be a fortress. It was built from solid stone and concrete, and towered over any building I could ever recall seeing. It appeared as if it had a multitude of entrances, all of which had dozens of people seemingly entering and leaving simultaneously. Resting atop of the massive building was an equally large sign that had a picture of a rather energetic looking Kobold on it, a speech bubble leaving her mouth that read _"Aeon Shopping Mall: Japan's first Demi-Human Friendly Shopping Center!"._ I was now in complete and total shock, something Mason evidently caught on to.

"So where do you want to go first?" He smiled at my reaction.

Now I was at a complete loss. I had literally zero clue where we were or what was around us. "Umm... What are my options?" I asked as I embarrassingly rubbed the back of head.

"Well." He paused. "Considering where we are, our options are pretty numerous. We could grab a bite to eat, perhaps check out some of the clothing stores for something to make ya more comfortable, or hell, we could even just walk around inside for a bit and talk until you see something that catches your eye." He then gave probably one of the most heartfelt grins I had seen in a very long time.

"Umm." I paused as I felt my stomach very audibly growl, almost as if it was on cue. "I suppose I am rather hungry. Are you sure this place can accommodate for someone of... you know... my size?" I nervously questioned as I lightly gestured towards my wings and overall height.

"Trust me Ares, this place is suitable for Demi-Humans of any shape or size. I've seen fully grown Ogre's walk around in here without issue, so I think you'll be perfectly fine." He laughed. "Now come on, I think I know a restaurant in here that will be to your liking."

I didn't vocally respond, but instead simply nodded as I began to follow Mason into the massive structure. I had to admit that I was rather nervous upon entrance, but this feeling quickly left once we set foot inside. I was immediately greeted by the pleasant sight of a mixing pot of different species of Demi-Humans wondering the vast halls and stores of the shopping center, each one wearing massive smiles on their faces. The smells in the air consisted of a rather pleasant mixture of freshly cooked foods and perfume-like fragrances, that of which all had separate sources. Due to the mixing pot of Extra-Species and humans happily interacting amongst each other caused the area to have an overall happy aura. In all honesty, this building as a whole almost felt too good to be true. I wasn't exactly sure how a building like this came to be. It honestly did look like they thought of everything they could have to accommodate for literally any breed of Demi-Human. There were raised ceilings and wide halls to accommodate for those who were either vertically or horizontally challenged. In fact, I had absolutely zero issues stretching my wings out to their full length despite what must have been easily around a thousand people dwelling within the mall. It even appeared as if the mall was outfitted with a lazy river in order to allow the more aquatic-like Demi-Humans proper access into the stores.

"Huh." I overheard Mason laugh amongst my ogling. "Not the first time I've seen that look. Pretty amazing, isn't it?"

"That's... Putting it lightly." I then looked down at him. "How is this even possible?"

"In all honesty, I'm really not sure myself." He gleefully sighed. "It used to be a smaller, everyday shopping Mall, but when the Interspecies Exchange Bill was passed the mall was bought up by the Interspecies Exchange Corporation and the SCK in order to build the first proper shopping mall for any and all Extra-Species. I used to come to the old mall when I was just a kid, but in all honesty, I think it looks way better like this." He then crossed his arms as a smug look came across his face. "Now, how about some food?"

"That would be awesome!" I smiled.

 **X**

The walk towards the restaurant was nothing short of entertaining, and only further proved that this place truly did support every single species out there. From my recollection of some of the odder species I passed, I remember seeing a mermaid of the shark variant swimming about in the lazy river, a rather tall and long-legged Arachne exploring one of the many extra-species clothing stores, and even a Lamia of the Anaconda variant happily wandering about the halls. The best part of this was that each and every one of them had what appeared to be zero issues moving around despite the mall having tons of people wandering around inside. I even had a pleasant interaction with a young human child who was curious about my wings, which ended in a rather pleasant conversation about Griffon Culture with the young girls even more curious parents.

It wasn't long until we were inside a rather rustic looking (and packed I might add) restaurant that went by the name "Horo's Barbecue Pit: A Meat Lover's Dream", which was apparently a restaurant dedicated to Western finger and soul foods. According to Mason, this Horo character was evidently a rare dragon Demi-Human that worked as the head chef at the restaurant. The first thing I noticed about the inside of the restaurant was that, like all the other stores in the mall, it definitely accommodated for all shapes and sizes of Extra-Species. The overall decorations within the restaurant where extremely fitting considering its deep western theme, heavily consisting of farm-like wooden furnishings and miscellaneous animal heads mounted on the walls. The music inside consisted of what sounded like the Western stereotype of country music, which admittedly wasn't horrible nor amazing. It wasn't long until we were greeted by a rather cheery blonde haired, green eyed Demi-Human of the Minotaur subspecies, that of which was currently dressed in what appeared to be the typical description of an American cowgirl, complete with overalls, ten-gallon hat, and even an oddly fitting cowbell that she seemed to proudly wear around her neck with pride.

"Welcome to Horo's Barbecue Pit partner!" She loudly boasted as she tightly shook both mine and Mason's hand, a heavy American accent masking her voice. "Is this y'all's first time?"

"Not for me." Mason responded before I could. "But it is his!"

"Well no worries sir!" The minotaur then gave me a rather flirtatious wink. "We have just the table for you! And by th' way, feel free to remove those hand-traps o' yours! I'd imagine ya'd like to eat without em'?"

"Umm, yeah. That'd be nice actually!" I pleasantly smiled at the girl.

"Well then, follow me to your table! The names Betsy by the way, and I'll be your server for th' day!" She then grabbed a set of what I assumed were menus and then began to lead us to our table, which I was rather curious about considering she said I wouldn't be needing my leather protection gauntlets. Yet, I wasn't exactly surprised when we were seated at a table that appeared to be made of proper steel, therefor my claws would have very little effect on the materiel.

"Wow, you guys really think of everything, don't you?" I thought aloud.

"You must really be new to all this fella!" The rather rambunctious Minotaur responded as she handed Mason and I our menus. "I can see it in your eyes big boy! Well don't you worry a bit, us here at Horo's have something for everyone! Now, I'll be back in just a moment to get y'alls orders!" And with that Minotaur skipped off, not seeming to lose the ever so happy pep in her step.

"Well, she seems nice." I simply stated as I removed my gauntlets and cautiously began to skim through the rather durable feeling menu.

"Yeah, Betsy's been here every bit as long as Horo herself, and I don't think I've ever seen her unhappy once." Mason responded as he began to do the same, albeit much less cautiously.

"Does she have a homestay as well?" I asked in both true curiousness and in an attempt to simply make conversation.

"I can't really say in all honesty." He responded much to my surprise.

"What do you mean?" I quickly retorted. "I thought all extra-species had to have a host family to both live with and escort them in public."

"Well... Not necessarily. You see, there's some rather fine lines within the Interspecies Exchange Program. For example, some can be granted special benefits that negate these laws depending on their cultural needs. I would imagine, due to the Minotaurs being a very proud race who practically cannot live without work, that she has been given special permission to work in public without the need of her host family being with her." He went to say more, but was interrupted by the boisterous voice of Betsy.

"You'd be very correct in saying so sir! In fact, I'd say that you're right on the nail with that one!" She smiled as she returned to the side of our table.

"Ah, I'm sorry Betsy. Didn't mean to be talking directly about you there." Mason blushed as he did a similar head rubbing move to my own.

"Oh, don't you go worrying about that sir! Like I said, I can tell that Mr.-" She paused and tilted her head as she looked at me, her bell giving a rather comedic ding in the process. "Oh, where are my manners! I didn't get your name!"

I had to slightly giggle at her sincerity before I could respond. "it's Ares, I'm a griffon. Pleasure to meet you Betsy." I smiled as I once again shook her hand, this time trying to be careful as my talons were currently exposed.

Her smile then once again returned to her face. "Well, as I was saying then. I can tell that Ares here is new to all of this from the look on his face." She sighed as she seemed to drift into a sense of reminiscence. "Oh, I remember when I first moved here for a homestay. I was so surprised to see how everything worked! I mean, there's still things I see to this day that surprise me!"

"Oh, so you do have a homestay then?" Mason added in, the two of us now completely immersed within Betsy's story.

"Indeed I do! I live out on one of Japan's ranches maybe around half an hour from here. I mainly just help out around the farm, but when I have nothing to do there I'm aloud to come here! All I have to do is make sure I have my permission papers and I'm ready to go!" She smiled as she pulled a small stack of papers labeled 'Special Exceptions Papers' out of one of her overall pockets.

"Wow, that is really cool actually." I gleefully grinned at the possible thought of one day being able to walk around on my own accord.

"Indeed it is!" She briefly paused. "Now, are you two ready for me to take y'all's orders, or do ya' need more time?"

"Well, I know what I'll have. You know what you want Ares?" Mason glanced over at me as he handed the Minotaur his menu.

"Umm... I think so." I responded as I did the same.

"Well, what'll it be then?" Betsy then pulled out a small notepad and paper, then assumed a rather revealing writing position on the table that gave me a rather uncomfortable look down her overalls, which both Mason and I tried out hardest to avert our eyes from.

"Uh... I'll have the All-American, medium well please with a side of fries and a large sweet tea." Mason quickly stammered as he used what seemed to be all of his willpower to not look down her overalls.

"And what'll you be having sweetie?" She smiled as she shifted to face me, her rather large breasts jiggling in the process seemingly without her knowledge.

"Umm, I'll take the full pound portobello mushroom T-bone, medium rare please. And a... umm... uh-" I slowly fell into the dark abyss of no return as I slowly succumbed to the inevitable. Luckily, Mason was there to save my hide.

"You said you wanted a sweet tea as well, right?" He jumped in, giving me wide-eyes as if to tell me to snap out of it, rightfully so.

"Uh, yeah! That's right! Sorry Betsy, I spaced out bit there." I tried my hardest to not show embarrassment.

"Oh no worries honey! Happens to me _all_ the time!" She then let out a rather adorable giggle as she stood back up, apparently completely oblivious as to what exactly just transpired. "Anyway, I'll put those orders in for ya' and be right back with your drinks!" She then scurried off once more.

"Well... That was... Interesting. Thanks for pulling me out of that Mason." We then began to collectively laugh at the overall absurdity of the whole situation.

"No problem Ares. Yeah, Betsy may not be the most self-aware one out there, but she's good people." Mason continued to chuckle.

"Yeah, I can tel-" I was then cut off by a rather loud yell of what seemed like an equally loud customer who was now entering the restaurant.

"What's up Fuckers!" The feminine (yet oddly raspy) voice proudly announced as she evidently stormed into the store. Mason and I (along with a large number of other customers) were instantly plagued with a look of heavy confusion on our faces. It wasn't until I slightly stood up from our table to get a better look that I realized what exactly just entered the store.

Standing at the entrance was an extremely large Arachne, very obviously of the large breed type due to both her overall size and the fact that she had a light washing of rather pretty blue-hued fur covering the entirety of her spider-half. This, of course, was extremely surprising to both Mason and I as large breed Arachne were typically far too dangerous and violent to be assimilated into human culture, and judging from her previous language and statement, it was safe to say that she was more than likely no exception to this rule. I quickly sat back down in order to not be spotted by the hulking Arachne. I was going to say something to Mason, but was once again cut off by an even more surprising statement, however this time it didn't come from the spider.

"Tanaka! How have you been you big ol' bitch!" The boisterous voice of what was very obviously Betsy gleefully responded, once again causing me to stand from my seat to see what was going on, Mason soon joining me. Our jaws almost fell to the floor when we saw the Minotaur run up to the large Arachne and give her an extremely large hug, the Arachne apparently known as Tanaka awkwardly returning (yet not denying) the favor in response. "So, I take it you'll be having the usual?" The minotaur continued as she pulled away from the embrace.

"Yep! A large beer and a bloody raw steak as usual! I take it my usual table is free?" The Arachne then gave a rather sinister yet oddly playful grin, winking three out of her six silver-hued eyes in the process.

"Of course it is! Reserved for our finest customer as always! Go ahead and take a seat, I'll be back with your order as quick as possible!" The minotaur then ran back into what was apparently the kitchen, the Arachne proceeding towards her table.

It only took Mason and I a few seconds to realize that her table was across from ours, as she was soon entering our area, an odd swagger in her step. Something told me dinner was about to get interesting.


End file.
